Daily Kennebec journal. [microfilm reel] (Augusta, Me.) 1870-1975, 1887-02-11

| Bill an act additional to chap 159, special
laws OF 1866. entitled an act to supply the
people of Portland with pure water.
Bill an act to incorporate the Little Wilson
| Falls and Dam Company.
House document No. 70, resolve making
appropriations for monuments, purchasing
land and improving the same. on the battle
| field of Gettysburg, came up under special
assignment, and was read once.
| Mr.. Moore of Deerng moved that the rules
be suspended and the resolve read the second
| time and passed to be engrossed.
MIR. Moore OF Deering referred to the large
number of petitions presented. asking for
| this legislation. He wished to call attention
to the aid that had been given by other States
| tor the same objects. The association had
| secured up to the present time and hold In
| fee simple some 400 acres-including the
grove where Reynolds fell, the two Round
| Tops, the Wheat Field, the Peach Orchard,
| East Cemetery Hill, the Union line of battle
from the Round Top to Cemetery Hill, from
! the Hagerstown road to the NNmmasburg
road-and has the care aud custody of 4G
acres of land owned by Gel. Crawford, in
| clading DEVILS Den. 1t had constructed
some ten miles of drives and avenues, and
| fence.
| He believed that if the people desired to
preserve the important historical centres of
the great struggle which took place at Get
! tysburg, they should aid this association In its
noble work. He referred to the fact that
| there is a bill now pending before the Cen
eral Assembly of Pennsylvania, appaopriat-
ing sSl 900 for monuments and $50, 900 to aid
the association in purchasing lands and
there are also bills before the State legisla-
lures asking for appropriations: New York
$500, 900, Wisconsin $4,000, Michigan Sl5,-
900. New jersey $50 900.
There have been erected on the field up to
the present time, over 100 monuments
Pennsylvania 81, Massachusetts "a, Vermont
10, New York IL, Connecticut g. Rhode Is
land 6, New Hampshire and Indiana 4 each,
New JERSEY 3, Wisconsin and Delaware 9
each and Maine |; and few by Confederate
veterans. The following States have made
appropriations; Ohio $40, 000 Massachusetts
$4,000, Pennsylvania $4,000, New York
SlO, 900, and other States smaller sums. And
a bill is now before Congress to appropriate
S75 900 to mark the position on the field held
by the Regulars. Other States have pending
appropriation bills for the same purpose.
He believed that undoubtedly the battle of
Gettysburg was the greatest battle of the
rebellion, not only because of the great num-
bers engaged, but because it WAS to decide
the fate of the American republic; and went
into an exhaustive analysis of the details or
the battle, showing the prominent and distin
guished valor of Maine troops, the import
ance of the positions held by them, and their
great losses in killed and wounded. He
eulogized their achievements and did all
honor to them, leaving it to the House to say
whether they were worthy of that honor to be
conferred BY this resolve. He had no doubt
of their decision.
Mr. Barker of Bangor said that the deep
interest he felt in the passage of this resolve
was the only excuse he could offer for tres
passing upon the time of the House. He was
aware that he was open to the criticism of
being young, and that in matters of this kind
older men should lead the way, but the an
nails Of history show that to the second and
even later generations, had been left the duty
and the pleasure of erecting monuments, or
in some other way perpetuating the memory
of the brave and heroic deeds of their ances-
tors. This duty is one which for the sake of
future generations ought to be performed in
order to keep fresh IN the minds of those who
are to come after us the history of the grand
struggles and sacrifices made by the men of
our day to preserve to their posterity a unit
ed and prosperous country. New England
played very important part in this contest
and her troops won for themselves a name
which must live until the memory of that
! fgh; has ceased to exist, Maine bore well
her part; she was represented by ten reg-
ments of infantry, one of cavalry and three
batteries of artillery. While can not give
| in detail the work done by the men of Maine
| can not refrain from calling your attention
to some of their gallant conduct. When on
the morning of the second day Lee, with his
strongest force charged the centre of the
Union army in the valley of the battlefield,
it is said that the famous batteries of Ste
vens and the gallant Hall, who were holding
Culp's and Cemetery Hill, trained their gus
SO as to meet the advancing horde if they
should be successful IN breaking through the
line of Union infantry, that stern determi-
nation was written in their faces to Weld
these commanding positions only with their
lives, and | have been told by an eye witness
that at one time the rebel troops could be
seen between the men of this command and
their guns, and that nothing but this mad de-
termination TO conquer or die, seconded by
| the indomitable courage of the men of the
Pine Tree State, allowed them to recover
their position ald bring these same guns to
bear upon retreatine enemy. The failure
| of that charge settled the fight IN that quarter
of the field, but the fight was by no means
won. In the valley could be seen mother
and daughter fighting side by side--the 18th
Massachusetts and the 18th Misunderstanding
shoulder TO shoulder in the thick of the Fl ght
doing woman service in the rama. of oo,,